Leg and sleeve stretcher



Filed June 12,

` s'. W. HENDERSON LEG AND SLEEVE STRETHER Feb. s, 1949.

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Patented Feb. 8, 1949 2,461,381 LEG AND SLEEVEy STRETCHER Scott W.Henderson, Kokomo, vInd., assignor to Vera I. Williams, doing businessas'C. I. Togstad Company, Kokomo, Ind.' v

Application June 12, 1946, seriaino. 676,148

This invention relates to a stretcher and former for garments, and samein smaller sizes may be applied to sleeves and in larger sizes to pantsor trouser legs, and is particularly applicable to washable suits, suchas of the seersucker and kindred varieties which are laundered ratherthan dry cleaned.

The chief object of this invention is to provide a comparatively simplestretcher device for such a leg or sleeve which is insertable thereinand readily extended to the desired maximum position for stretching thatparticular leg or sleeve so that the same can dry and when dried willhave the crease formed therein.

The chief feature of the invention resides in the provision of the twoU-shaped members which are arranged in confronting relation and areslidably associated at their lapping arm portions, and such slidablyassociated portions include a lock arrangement which is readilyyadjustable in the extending direction and is automatically locked whenextended to prevent col# lapse so that thewet leg or 4sleeve in dryingwill not exert sufiicient force on the stretcher to release the'lock.

This lock is further characterized by a simple construction that is ngerreleasable to permit collapse of the stretcher when the same is to beremoved from the garment being stretched.

Another feature of the invention resides in the formation in an arm of abar stop by an aligned depression and projection formation.

The stretcher provides that when the garment is dried there Awill beformed in it, where tensioned by the stretcher, a crease, therebyobviating the ironing of such a garment after drying.

The term seersucker, used initially herein, is set forth by way ofexample and not by limitation, and it is to be understood that othersimilar types of garments, such as duck, linen and like fabrics may besimilarly stretched, dried and creased with this device, and obviouslythe stretcher is not limited in its use to washed garments, but isapplicable equally as well to dry f cleaned garments, and garments thathave not tion.;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of one end of 11 Claims. (Cl. 223-63)the stretcher showing the same in the collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same parts and the automatic look in thecompletely extended position of the parts, full lines showing parts inlocked relation and dotted lines showing the lock in the releasedposition.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the parts as shown in Fig. 3.

In the drawings I9 indicates an elongated bar section member whichhas atopposite ends the arm portions II, each of which terminates in anYangular portion I5, as shown more clearly in Fig.. 4. I3 indicatesanother member of substantially the same length as member I0, and sameis provided with arm portions I4. The ends of this member are providedwith lateral projections l2 formed as by indenting. Thus the aforesaidconstruction comprises two confronting U-shaped members of bar type anda particular cross sec,- tion of the barv is such that the outside facesare slightly curved forreasons previously assigned.

The aforesaid is acknowledged to be broadly old inthe art except for theangular ends I5 and the projections I2. Inother words, the general formof the stretcher is old.

Referring to the several gures it is observed that there is` provided aU-shaped'bridge member I6 having one transverse arm I'I and a similarlyangular directed arm I8. vIntermediate said arms and from a pointclosely adjacent arm I8 and for about a distance approximately half thelength of the bridge member, the latter, in its intermediate portion l5,is offset slightly as at I9 for the purpose of providing a ratherelongated bearing for the arms I I and I4.

The angular end I 8 of the bridge member is notched as at 2B and is ofyust s'uicient size to simultaneously slidably accommodate one arm IIand the adjacent arm I 4, `The other angular portion Il of the bridgemember is notched or slotted as at ZI to slidably accommodate only thearm i4. The bridge member is notched or slotted as at 22 to seat theangular end I5 of the arm I I, and such notch 22 is herein shown spacedfrom the adjacent end of the oiset portion I9 approximately the samedistance that the angular'end I8 is spaced from the adjacent end of theoffset portion I9.

The member I5 between the Inotch 22 and the `angular end I'I is notchedas at 23, and a tail portion 24 is rockingly seated therein.. The plateportion 2 5, integral with the tailgis notched as at 26 to accommodatethe arm I4. Interposed between the locking member 2-5 and the angular 3portion il of the bridge structure, and enveloping the arm portion le,is a coil spring 21 which normally constrains the locking member 25 awayfrom the angular portion Vi and thereby causes the locking member togrip and lock upon the arm portion 4, thereby preventing movement of thearmportion, Hltoward the: portion Hl.

This construction obviously is such that when the two adjacent arms l Iand I4 lie substantially side by side and substantially coextensivewith' each other, to extend or separate portions l0 and i3, merely pulloutwardly upon the two 15J-shaped" members at the junctions of the armswith thc elongated portions. This canfbe accomplished;

if desired, solely with the two index fingers after the form has beenseated in the leg or sleeve..

After the extension has been: eieote'd 'to thel degree desired and thegarment has dried..arrdsit is desired to remove the stretcher, lockmember E5-is suitably engaged. and tilted to. the dotted line orreleased position, see Fig. 3, against. the force. ofthe. spring,l aspreviously stated. Thereuponthe two arms hl and llcan be. forced'together.. When the U-shaped 1members are sufli'- ciently collapsed samemay be Withdrawn from the stretched, driedancl creased sleeve or leg,

From the foregoing, therefore, it will. beobserved that the parts arefew. in number, to-wit: two U-shaped members, two bridge members', twosprings. and two locking members, a total of eight in all'ior. acomplete stretcher. It will' also be notedthat by reason of theindentation and. projection iabove the angular end!8',.completeseparation cannot be effected' after assembly soV that lossofthe parts will not occur,

While the invention has been illustratedand described invgreai'."detailr in the drawings and foregoing description, the' same isto be considered as illustrative' and. not restrictive in charactor.

The' several modificationsv described hereinY as well as others' `whichwill` readilystrangest themselves to persons skilledin this art, allareconsidered to be within the broad scope ofthe invention; referencebeinghad to the appended claims.

The invention claimed l. Ina garment stretcher having twoA` confronting.U-shaperlxmembers with arms in lappingv relation', the combination of4a U-shaped` bridge member'foreach lapping pair ofl arms vand 'carried byone of 'those arms and' slidably supported at spaoed'points by theother-of'those' arms, a locking member pivotall'y supported bythe bridgemember and embracing the said other 'arme and a coilsprngmember aboutsaid other arm and i operatively interposedbetweentbe bridge member andthe-locking member and normally constraining' thel latter to lockingengagement on the* said otherarm'and against stretcher collapse andpermitting relatively free stretcher extension.

2'. A garment stretcher as dened by claim 1 wherein thejbridge memberbetween the arm portions thereof includes an elongated inwardly olisetportionK for elongated",bearingfpurposes Arelative to the saidone ofthose arms.

3i`A;garmentstretcher as Adeined by claim 1 wherein each' of the saidother arms includes a bridge engageable' stop preventing U'shaped memberextension separation.

. 4. Agarment stretcher as defined by claim 1 wherein'the bridgemen'iberbetween` the arm portions thereof includes an`r elongatedinwardly oisetportlon ior'elongate'd bearing purposes rel;- tive thesaid'one of. those arms, each of the said other-arms" including a bridge`engagealolestop.

5. A garment stretcher as defined by claim 1 wherein the bridge memberbetween the arm vportions thereof includes an elongated inwardly offsetportion for elongated bearing purposes relative the said one of thosearms and maintaining elongated slidable bearing contact between the pairof lapping arms...

6. A garment stretcher as dened by claim 1 wherein the bridge memberbetween the arm portions thereof includes an elongated inwardly offsetportion for elongated bearing purposes relative the said-one of thosearms and maintaining elongatedslidable bearing contact between the pairof lappingarms, each of the said other arms includingy abridgeengageable stop.

7. A garment stretcher as delined by claim 1 wherein each U-shapedmember and the bridgev y member is of integral character and is of bartype and the locking member is of plate type, there i beingbuteightindividual members in toto..

' 8'. 'A garment stretcher including two elongated parallel memberssidably' associated together in lapping relation', an elongatedU-shaped' member, both'v parallel members extending through one .15, armthereof. and one also extending through the other' arm ofv -the U-shapedmember, a spring coiled about the said one member'and operativelybearing at one Aendv upon the said' othenarm; and anapertured lockingmember disposed angularly ofthesai'd one member and having the other endofsai'd' spring operativelyy bearing thereon, said locking neernberhandlthe'other of said parallel members having seated association with the U-shaped member, the locking member being tiltable to transverse positionfor release purposes.

9i A garment stretcher as deined by claim 8 wherein meansis provided onthe free end of the said` one parallel member for limitinglongitudined-extension of the parallel members.

1i). Ina'garment stretcher having a pair of relatively' slidablemembers, the combination therewith' of a third member arranged tomaintainvparalleli'sm between the pair oi members, a tiltablello'clringmember apertured to slidably accommodate and lock upon one of said pairof members, a tongue on said locking member, and a notch'in said thirdmember to seat said tongue, thaise-,king vmember being normally biasedto an inclinedV position` upon the said one member for lockingepurposesand' movable into transverse reiatiolrthereto for release purposes.

1l. In a garment stretcher having a pair of relatively slidable arms,the combination therewith ofla member arranged to maintain parallelismbetween.` the arms', and` a tiltable locking member apertured` toslidably accommodate and lock-upon chem?` saidarms, one of said membershaving a tongue and the'. other apertured for seatin'gfsaid tongue, thelocking. memberv being noi-mallybiafsed tof-an' inclined position uponsaid one arm-forY locking purposes and movable into transverse relationthereto for release purposes.

SCGTTW. HENDERSON.

REEERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 817,718 Kulhawk Apr. 10, 19GB 1,532,586Dietrich Apr. 7, -1-925 1',6?S,679 Nelson July 31, 1928 2,400,236 KruseMey 14,4936

